Ice Cream and Bridesmaids' Dresses
by teammccord
Summary: Elizabeth comes home after a long day to find Stevie and Henry watching tv.


Disclaimer: I don't own Madam Secretary! If I did, we'd never be on hiatus!

A/N: I've never written fanfiction before, so bear with me. I appreciate any feedback!

When Elizabeth McCord finally came home on a Thursday evening, it was well past 10 o clock. She had half expected everyone in the house to be asleep already, but was pleasantly surprised to find Henry and Stevie on the couch, watching TV.

"Why in the world would she do that? Everyone knows that letting each bridesmaid choose her own dress will only lead to disaster!" she heard Henry exclaim as she pulled off her heels and blazer and walked around to the back of the couch, curious to see what he was so worked up about.

She suppressed a laugh, wondering why her husband and daughter were spending their Thursday night watching reality television. They seemed oddly fascinated.

"I totally agree," Stevie said. "And that shade of purple? That cannot be flattering on anyone!"

"I do like the dress the tall one on the left is wearing," Elizabeth chimed in. "Maybe a muted lavender could work better."

"Mom!" Stevie turned around, switching off the TV, and smiled at her mother. "You're home!"

"I am! It feels like I haven't seen you guys in ages!" she replied, leaning down to kiss Henry hello.

"I see the world hasn't reached a state of total chaos yet, so that must be a good sign. Is everyone behaving?" Henry asked, before motioning for Elizabeth to sit down. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as she sank down into the soft cushions.

"As well as can be expected. It's really all formalities and paperwork, not to mention hosting coffee after coffee after coffee . I don't think I can look at another cup for days!"

Elizabeth had been bogged down in a host of treaty negotiations between various countries that kept piling up all week, which meant she hadn't been home since Monday. At this point, Blake saw more of her house and family than she did, as he was always the one to come and fetch more clothes when she ran out. She made a mental note to thank him, adding to the seemingly endless to-do list she was keeping these days.

"I still have some of that ice cream thing left over if you want it," Stevie said, knowing she would pique her mother's interest. "You know, the stuff you told me never to tell you how to make."

"That sounds amazing right now," Elizabeth admitted. "I swear, every time I end up in this house, all you guys do is feed me!"

Henry laughed at this, and Stevie headed to the kitchen for the ice cream.

"I guess it's true babe — but think about it! How many times have you texted me that your lunch was interrupted, or that Russell came to steal your fries? You have to get food from somewhere."

"You make a valid point, professor."

"I am a world-renowned religious scholar," Henry joked. "I know a thing or two about observation and making good arguments."

"Sure dad," Stevie said, as she came back to the living room with a bowl of ice cream and two spoons, knowing her parents were going to share. "What religion do mom's eating habits fall under?"

"Touché," Elizabeth said, laughing, and added "thank you for the ice cream" when Stevie handed her the bowl.

"As much fun as this is, watching you guys share dessert and all, I have an Irish Poetry exam tomorrow. Goodnight!"

"Night, sweetheart," Henry and Elizabeth said, as she handed her husband a spoon.

Stevie walked upstairs, and Elizabeth curled into Henry's shoulder, pulling her legs underneath her. They spend a few minutes eating their ice cream in silence, simply enjoying each other's company.

"This stuff is seriously addicting," Henry commented, breaking the silence. "What does she put in here?"

"I don't even want to know," Elizabeth responded.

"This is nice, just the two of us. I missed this."

"Me too. One question though, why were you and Stevie watching reality TV at 10 o clock on a Thursday?"

Elizabeth shifted so that she was sitting upright, and was able to look at Henry, who blushed.

"Blake may or may not have dropped a hint you were coming home. And since Ali and Jason were already asleep, we figured we'd stay up and be your welcome committee."

She smiled at this, and leaned down to kiss Henry.

"Also," he added when they broke their kiss, "it was bridesmaids or bush people in Alaska, so Stevie picked what was, in her opinion, the lesser evil."

"Thank you for that. I feel so bad sometimes, you know, missing out on nights like this, when I'm holed up in the office. I miss knowing how your day went, sneaking into your lectures and being the one to watch the crappy TV with you at 10 o clock on a Thursday."

Henry wrapped his arms around Elizabeth, pulling her close.

"Babe, it's not your fault that the world won't behave and they need you to fix it. That just shows how brilliant you are. And as for the crappy TV, I'll watch that with you any day, if you really want."

Somehow Henry always knew the right thing to say, how to make her feel better instantly. It was one of the many things she loved about her husband.

"Wait!" Henry looked over at her, slight shock on his face. "You snuck into my lectures at UVA?"

"Seriously, you never noticed? I mean, I always sat in the big lecture halls so I wouldn't distract you, but I figured you just ignored me and focused on your lectures. You look very cute when you teach, by the way."

"I can't believe I never did! I snuck into your lectures too, by the way, and may I say, Professor McCord, your beauty was always enhanced by those dusty chalkboards."

Elizabeth laughed at this, and Henry kissed her on the cheek.

"I never noticed either! For two spies, we sure aren't very perceptive in lecture situations," she mused.

"Something to always keep in mind with possible handlers or tradecraft schemes we might have to pull."

"Henry! What exactly are you planning on doing?"

"Nothing, relax babe. I was just thinking of how weird our lives really are, if you think about it. We're two run-of-the-mill middle aged college professors who live in DC, except that you happen to be ex-CIA and currently Secretary of State and that when I'm not writing books or teaching, I help out as a spy for the NSA."

"True. Any moment now, the President could get a call telling him there was a world-famous religious scholar who was planning on smuggling sacred texts though foreign officials," Elizabeth joked, trying to come up with the most outlandish situation she could.

"We would be the only couple on the planet qualified to handle such a disaster, so the President would send us on a top-secret mission to the ends of the earth, and we would go and prevent the collapse of the world," she continued dramatically, gesticulating wildly for emphasis. "Only my fierce diplomacy skills and your affinity for quoting dead monks and saints would make our mission a success, and as a thank-you for a task well-done, we would be awarded a lifetime supply of ice cream!"

Both she and Henry broke into fits of laughter.

"I love you babe," Henry said, kissing Elizabeth's hair. "And your strange sense of humour. I promise if anything like that does happen, we'll be the new Bonnie and Clyde."

"I love you too Henry. You're the best fellow world-saver a girl could ask for."


End file.
